As Long As You Live Another Day
by Scottie-Pet
Summary: The night before the Furious Five battle Tai Lung, Viper confronts Tigress in a fragile state.


**Note: This takes place just before the Furious Five met Tai Lung at the bridge in the first film. There was what appeared to be a lengthy time frame between then and when they left, and this takes place within that time.**

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**As Long As You Live Another Day**

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"Tigress."

The voice was not accusing or demanding, not in the way Tigress would have expected. It was gentle, yet with a tinge of desperation, some emotion of sincerity that the feline warrior couldn't quite place. Her eyes slowly opened to come face to face with none other than Viper. The night sky loomed over the snake's head, stars illuminating her scales. They didn't have much time to rest, despite knowing it was necessary to stay sharp in order to defeat Tai Lung. Tigress blinked.

"What is it?" She muttered, voice weighed down just barely by sleep.

Viper didn't respond right away. Her eyes seemed to shimmer in the darkness, figure dark, and Tigress watched as her eyes fell half lidded in a melancholy motion. Her head drooped and she looked away. Tigress sat up in confusion, now looking down at her team member. What was this about?"

"...Is something wrong?" Tigress inquired hesitantly.

Viper looked up at her now, and there was something so strongly plaintive in her eyes it almost hurt Tigress to see. "Do you remember when I first joined this team, Tigress?"

Tigress stared at her intently as her memories shifted back. It was such a long time ago, but still, she nodded. "Yes. You were the second one, right after myself..."

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It had been a day in June when the sun bathed the Valley with warmth and peace. Shifu was meeting with another master, from a land far off. Tigress, in her early teens, although told to stay out of their way, would glance in from time to time to make sure everything was okay. She was extremely curious - not often was it that they had visitors. It was usually just her, Shifu, and Oogway. Still, Shifu seemed relatively friendly with this old snake - they had even laughed at some point.

"Tigress, what are you doing?" Shifu called out to her.

She made a noise of surprise when she'd been caught. "I'm sorry master!" Tigress apologized, voice laden with fear. "I- I just wanted to make sure everything was okay."

She glanced over to the snake visitor, who was smiling at her fondly. His mustache was long and his eyebrows were pointy. "I would say that everything is more than okay, wouldn't you, Shifu?"

Master Shifu nodded, and Tigress felt relieved that he wasn't angry at her for spying. "Tigress, how would you feel about having someone stay at the Jade Palace with us?"

Tigress tilted her head. "...Him?" She pointed to the old snake, who shook with mirth at this idea.

"No, young one... _Her_." His tail flicked to point to a small green snake, her head adorned with what looked like lilies.

"Um, hi." The small snake said shyly. "It's nice to meet you... I'm Viper."

Tigress felt mildly nervous. She had never had a friend, not for a long time - the kids at the orphanage had only really started liking her a few days before the majority of them left.

"...Hi..." She managed, resisting the urge to hide behind Shifu. She knew he wouldn't be large enough to hide her anyway.

Viper slithered forward when she got a nod of approval from her father, coming close to Tigress, and she bowed. Tigress bowed in response.

"Miss Viper will be staying with us for awhile," Shifu explained. "She's an excellent fighter, much like yourself. I think you will get along just fine." A smile graced his aging visage.

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...With her focus returning to the present, Tigress saw Viper gazing at her. The snake too must have been reminiscing.

"That day," Viper's voice was near a whisper. "I knew that you would become one of the most important friend to me."

Tigress almost pointed out that that was before they met any of their other 'friends', but the expression on Viper's face stopped her. Viper looked so odd in the moonlight, as though she were horrified, yet her fear was masked with something sweet and kind.

"You are... Important to me, too." Tigress whispered back.

Viper sighed, and her neck came forward to rest on Tigress' shoulder.

"I know you want to defeat him." Came her pained tone. "And I know you're willing to die for that." Viper's voice cracked, and Tigress, who was still as a rock, felt her scales tremble against her fur.

"Viper..." She tried to form a sentence, but the inability to console her friend was too much.

Viper pulled away to look at her. "I want more than anything for you to live, just a little bit longer." She choked out; she was so close to tears.

"I..."

"There are more important things in this world than Shifu being proud of you." Tears dripped from her eyes as her head fell into a slump, eyes shimmering with water.

Tigress stared at her in utter shock. As the stars hung over them, she felt something swell within her, and one of her paws reached out to gently wrap around Viper's midsection. She pulled the snake closer, and gave her the best hug someone as cold as her could. Viper nestled into her neck, and Tigress felt her tears dampen her fur, but it didn't matter. Because there was a good possibility that, after the sun rose, they would die. That Tai Lung's power would be too much for them. Still, Tigress refused to give up, refused to let Shifu down.

Viper pressed her lips to Tigress' cheek, and they fell back to sleep that night with the night sky bathing them in hope. Maybe, just maybe, they would be able to make it through this. Maybe, just maybe, Tigress _herself_ could finally find peace.

Viper wanted that more than she wanted to live.

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**Short Tigress/Viper fic, written to the song,_ Zhi Yao Wei Ni Huo Yi Tian_. It's from the movie Kung Fu Hustle, which Kung Fu Panda was heavily inspired by.**


End file.
